1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the production of ice cream products, and is directed more particularly to an assembly and method for separating a flexible disposable mold in which a confection body has previously been formed and frozen, from the body of frozen confection, such as ice cream.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,156,357, issued Dec. 5, 2000 to Peter B. Franklin, there is disclosed a frozen confection type food product, one component of which is a generally cylindrically-shaped frozen confection such as ice cream, sherbet, yogurt, custard, and the like.
In U.S. Patent Application Publication US 2004/0234642, published Nov. 25, 2004 and incorporated herein by reference, there is disclosed an assembly and method for forming a frozen confection in a mold comprising a flexible inert casing. Inasmuch as the product disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,156,357 includes the frozen confection without the casing, it is necessary in producing the product to separate the casing from the confection body. In the aforesaid Publication, it is said that such separation may be undertaken by slicing open the mold, or casing, and separating the mold from the confection body. It is suggested that the slicing operation may be effected by a slicing device generally of the type used to peel skin off sausage to provide skinless sausage.
Experience has shown, however, that merely slicing open the confection mold sometimes fails to render the mold and confection readily separable. On occasion, the confection fails separate from the mold because the mold and confection are essentially frozen together and do not readily separate.
Accordingly, there is a need for an assembly and method for automatically slicing through the mold and thereafter removing the mold from the frozen confection, even when the temperature of the mold and confection is such as to discourage separation.